Yerevan standoff: Gunmen shoot police officer dead

PanARMENIAN.Net - A police officer, Yura Tepanosyan was killed in a rebel sniper attack, Armenia's police spokesman Ashot Aharonyan said in a Facebook post.

According to Aharonyan, the armed group that seized a police department on June 17 opened fire and killed the officer.

The fatal shooting will most probably heighten tensions following violent clashes on Friday night between riot police and supporters of the group that injured some 75 people.

The gunmen are members of the Sasna Tsrer (Daredevils of Sassoun) movement. One police officer was killed, and several more were wounded inan exchange of gunfire that broke as the members of the group hit the gates of the police department with a track.All the captives have been set free. The group demand the release of Jirair Sefilian, the founder of the Founding Parliament who was arrested on June 20, as he and a group of people had allegedly planned to seize premises and communication facilities, including the Yerevan TV tower. They also demand the resignation of President Serzh Sargsyan and the creation of a transitional government. Also, they want the authorities to halt Karabakh negotiations fearing they are going to cede some lands around the former Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast to Azerbaijan.

On July 27, the gunmen took 4 paramedics hostage, and released only one of them the next day.